Apropos of very little; Some fun history on the evolution of the Minister of Labour (and others).
The Department of Labour was amalgamated with the Department of Employment and Immigration in 1996. It was a process started by Kim Campbell to reduce the size of cabinet and the government. Didn't know she had time to do anything, but seems like she got the ball rolling on that process.
The Department of Employment and Immigration has a bit of a wild history. It was 'Manpower and Immigration from 1966-77. Before that it was Citizenship and Immigration (1950-66), Department of Mines and Resources (1936-50), Department of Immigration and Colonization (1917-36) and Department of the Interior (1873-1917).
So anyway, as part of this reorganization, Labour would be amalgamated into Employment and Immigration, which would become 'Human Resources Development Canada, and would see Immigration get shifted into Multiculturalism and Citizenship (which would become Citizenship and Immigration in 1994).
Human Resources Development Canada was created to try and reduce the size of cabinet and portfolios, but that didn't really work out. We went from:
Minister of Labour (Department of Labour)
Minister of Employment and Immigration (Department of Employment and Immigration)
Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship (Department of Multiculturalism and Citizenship)
to:
Minsiter of Labour (Human Resources Development Canada)
Minister of Human Resources Development (Human Resources Development Canada)
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Citizenship and Immigration)
Then in 2003, Human Resources Development Canada was split into Human Resources and Skill Development Canada, and Social Development Canada. Back to two ministers for two departments (Minister of Labour for Human Resources and Skill Development Canada, Minister of Social Development for the other).
In 2006 the departments would be merged again into Employment and Social Development Canada (still the department's name today). However it would still have two ministers, because parties just can't seem to give up those portfolios. For some name history of the ministers attached to ESDC:
Minister of Labour (1909-2004), Minister of Labour and Housing (2004-2006), Minister of Labour (2006-2015), Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour (2015-2019), Minister of Labour (2019-2024)
Minister of Social Development (2003-06), Minister of Human Resources and Social Development (2006-2008), Minister of Human Resources and Skill Development (2008-2013), Minister of Employment and Social Development (2013-15), Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (2015-2025).
But also:
in 2011, the Minister of State for Seniors was created. It was dissolved in 2015 as the responsibility was given to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. In 2018 it was revived and given a promotion to Minister of Seniors.
In 2019, the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth was created, with name changes to 'Housing and Diversity and Inclusion' (2021-23) to 'Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities' (2023-2025).
In 2023, Minister of Citizen's Services was created for some reason.
Now, fulfilling the dream of the Kim Campbell PCs who wanted to go from three ministers to two with the reorganizing of departments, we will now go from:
Minister of Labour
Minister of Employment and Immigration
Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship
to
Minister of Labour
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Minister of Seniors
Minister of Citizen's Services
Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
to
Minister of Jobs and Families
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Only 30 years later. That's progress right there.
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